A mini review of Liparis species: an ornamental genus with considerable medicinal value.

The genus Liparis, a group of perennial ornamental herbs in the family Orchidaceae, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Many species of the genus Liparis have been commonly used as traditional herbal medicines for the treatment of menorrhagia, haemoptysis, traumatic bleeding, snake bites, and pneumonia. This review describes the ornamental value of plants of the genus Liparis and summarises the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities reported during the last decade. The main chemical constituents of this genus are phenolic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, etc. Most phenolic acids and alkaloids have a nervogenic acid skeleton, and most alkaloids also have a pyrrolizidine skeleton. Extracts from the genus Liparis plants showed significant haemostatic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. This paper proposed ideas and research directions for the future study of plants in the genus Liparis, providing valuable information for the development of new drugs and promoting their utilisation.

Hsa_circ_0004214 involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by beryllium sulfate through modulating JAK-STAT signaling pathway.

Background: Chronic beryllium disease is characterized by granulomas and pulmonary fibrosis. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in the pathogenesis and development of many diseases. However, the role of miRNAs and circRNAs in pulmonary fibrosis induced by beryllium sulfate (BeSO4) has not been elucidated. Methods: Previous studies demonstrated hsa-miR-663b was down-regulated in the 150 µmol/L BeSO4-treated 16HBE cells, while hsa_circ_ 0004214 was up-regulated. Here we found epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involved in pulmonary fibrosis induced by BeSO4 (4, 8, and 12 mg/kg·BW) in SD rats. Results: Elevated expression of hsa-miR-663b blocked the EMT progression of 16HBE cells induced by 150 µmol/L BeSO4. Notably, the overexpression of hsa-miR-663b decreased the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), which was predicted as a target gene of hsa-miR-663b by bioinformatics tools. Furthermore, elevated miR-663b inhibited the activation of the downstream Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway induced by BeSO4 in 16HBE cells. Previous study suggested that hsa_circ_0004214 had binding sites for hsa-miR-663b. The results indicated hsa_circ_0004214 alleviated the BeSO4-induced EMT via JAK-STAT pathway in 16HBE cells. Conclusions: Collectively, the overexpression of hsa-miR-663b and knockdown of hsa_circ_0004214 attenuated the EMT induced by BeSO4 through the inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling pathway. The aberrant expressed hsa-miR-663b and hsa_circ_0004214 stimulated by BeSO4 may exert an important function in the toxic mechanism of beryllium exposure to 16HBE cells, providing the potential therapeutic targets in chronic beryllium disease.

Construction of N-doped carbon encapsulated Mn2O3/MnO heterojunction for enhanced lithium storage performance.

Owing to high theoretical capacity, low cost and abundant availability, manganese oxides are widely viewed as promising anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Nonetheless, their practical application is significantly hindered by poor electrical conductivity, sluggish reaction kinetics and substantial volume change. In this work, an ingenious polypyrrole encapsulation followed by pyrolysis strategy is proposed to produce N-doped carbon encapsulated Mn2O3/MnO heterojunction (Mn2O3/MnO@NC) by using mechanically ground Mn3O4/C3N4 mixture as the precursor. The results show that the selection of precursor plays a pivotal role in the successful preparation of Mn2O3/MnO@NC hybrid. It is revealed that the uniform encapsulation by N-doped carbon significantly enhances the conductivity and structural stability of the final product. Concurrently, the Mn2O3/MnO heterojunction within the resultant hybrid exhibits a unique quantum-dot size, which effectively shortens ion transport pathways and exposes the active sites for lithium storage. Additionally, experimental observations and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the built-in electric fields generated at the interfaces of Mn2O3/MnO heterojunction accelerate the charge transfer and ion diffusion, thereby enhancing the electrochemical reaction kinetics. As a result, the Mn2O3/MnO@NC hybrid displays much enhanced lithium storage performance. Evidently, our work offers a good guidance for the design and synthesis of advanced transition metal oxide/carbon anodes for LIBs.

Engineering design and application of large-scale oil-based drilling cuttings treatment project.

Thermal phase separation technology is a new comprehensive treatment technology, which heats oil-based cuttings to a certain temperature to vaporize oil and water components. Based on a large oil-based drilling cuttings comprehensive utilization project, the engineering design and application effect of thermal phase separation technology were analysed. The practice shows that thermal phase separation technology can reduce the oil content of purified residue to 0.1-0.2%, the average recovery rate of base oil is 94.12% and the annual recovery of base oil is about 4800 t; the purified residue does not have corrosive, leaching toxicity and other dangerous characteristics, and can be used for making bricks or building materials. Thermal phase separation technology is a comprehensive utilization and treatment technology with excellent engineering and environmental benefits, which has a high promotion value.

Morphological entropy encodes cellular migration strategies on multiple length scales.

Cell migration is crucial for numerous physiological and pathological processes. A cell adapts its morphology, including the overall and nuclear morphology, in response to various cues in complex microenvironments, such as topotaxis and chemotaxis during migration. Thus, the dynamics of cellular morphology can encode migration strategies, from which diverse migration mechanisms can be inferred. However, deciphering the mechanisms behind cell migration encoded in morphology dynamics remains a challenging problem. Here, we present a powerful universal metric, the Cell Morphological Entropy (CME), developed by combining parametric morphological analysis with Shannon entropy. The utility of CME, which accurately quantifies the complex cellular morphology at multiple length scales through the deviation from a perfectly circular shape, is illustrated using a variety of normal and tumor cell lines in different in vitro microenvironments. Our results show how geometric constraints affect the MDA-MB-231 cell nucleus, the emerging interactions of MCF-10A cells migrating on collagen gel, and the critical transition from proliferation to invasion in tumor spheroids. The analysis demonstrates that the CME-based approach provides an effective and physically interpretable tool to measure morphology in real-time across multiple length scales. It provides deeper insight into cell migration and contributes to the understanding of different behavioral modes and collective cell motility in more complex microenvironments.

Automatic origin prediction of liver metastases via hierarchical artificial-intelligence system trained on multiphasic CT data: a retrospective, multicentre study.

Background: Currently, the diagnostic testing for the primary origin of liver metastases (LMs) can be laborious, complicating clinical decision-making. Directly classifying the primary origin of LMs at computed tomography (CT) images has proven to be challenging, despite its potential to streamline the entire diagnostic workflow. Methods: We developed ALMSS, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based LMs screening system, to provide automated liver contrast-enhanced CT analysis for distinguishing LMs from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), as well as subtyping primary origin of LMs as six organ systems. We processed a CECT dataset between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2022 (n = 3105: 840 HCC, 354 ICC, and 1911 LMs) for training and internally testing ALMSS, and two additional cohorts (n = 622) for external validation of its diagnostic performance. The performance of radiologists with and without the assistance of ALMSS in diagnosing and subtyping LMs was assessed. Findings: ALMSS achieved average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.917 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.899-0.931) and 0.923 (95% [CI]: 0.905-0.937) for differentiating LMs, HCC and ICC on both the internal testing set and external testing set, outperformed that of two radiologists. Moreover, ALMSS yielded average AUC of 0.815 (95% [CI]: 0.794-0.836) and 0.818 (95% [CI]: 0.790-0.842) for predicting six primary origins on both two testing sets. Interestingly, ALMSS assigned origin diagnoses for LMs with pathological phenotypes beyond the training categories with average AUC of 0.761 (95% [CI]: 0.657-0.842), which verify the model's diagnostic expandability. Interpretation: Our study established an AI-based diagnostic system that effectively identifies and characterizes LMs directly from multiphasic CT images. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing.

Expression of PCT, BNP and Inflammatory Factors in Children with Kawasaki Disease and Their Correlation with Coronary Artery Lesions.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD), as one of the most common vascular diseases in children, will cause the risk of coronary artery lesions (CAL) without treatment. This study is to explore the expression of procalcitonin (PCT), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in children with KD and their correlation with CAL. Methods: 86 KD children in Baoding Hospital of Beijing Children's Hospital were selected as the study subjects from January 2020 to June 2021. According to whether CAL occurred, they were divided into the CAL group (n=30) and NCAL group (n=56). The clinical data of the two groups were collected from the medical record system. The levels of PCT and BNP were detected by chemiluminescence microparticle assay, the CRP level was detected by immunoturbidimetry, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by flow immunofluorescence method. The relationship of PCT, BNP, and inflammatory factors with CAL in KD children was explored by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The comparative result of clinical data showed no overt difference in gender, disease types, age and blood routine indexes between the two groups, except for coronary artery diameter (P >.05). The levels of PCT, BNP, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in CAL group were (1.70±0.39) µg/L, (289.21±29.78) ng/L, (83.16±17.35) mg/L, (9.38±1.23) pg/mL and (59.97±0.97) ng/mL, respectively. The levels of PCT, BNP, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in NCAL group were (1.04±0.18) µg/L, (170.85±23.58) ng/L, (69.70±16.64) mg/L, (6.32±0.73) pg/mL and (44.16±11.97) ng/mL, respectively. The levels of each index in the CAL group were notably higher than in the NCAL group (P < .001). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that PCT, BNP, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 were positively correlated with CAL in KD children (r=0.829, 0.865, 0.823, 0.894, 0.784, P < .001). Conclusion: The increase of PCT, BNP, and inflammatory factors has a certain warning effect on CAL in KD children. In clinical practice, health care professionals should strengthen the detection of PCT, BNP and inflammatory factors in KD children, carry out early monitoring of CAL in children with high expression of biomarkers, and formulate personalized preventive intervention based on the disease progress, so as to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, due to the limitations of research conditions and methods, the sample size of this study is small, which may affect the reliability and representativeness of the conclusion. In order to provide a new direction for the clinical prevention and treatment of the disease, future work will improve the research design, expand the sample size, and carry out more in-depth exploration on the prediction of CAL in KD children.

Recent Advances in Optically Controlled PROTAC.

Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology is a groundbreaking therapeutic approach with significant clinical potential for degrading disease-inducing proteins within targeted cells. However, challenges related to insufficient target selectivity raise concerns about PROTAC toxicity toward normal cells. To address this issue, researchers are modifying PROTACs using various approaches to enhance their target specificity. This review highlights innovative optically controlled PROTACs as anti-cancer therapies currently used in clinical practice and explores the challenges associated with their efficacy and safety. The development of optically controlled PROTACs holds the potential to significantly expand the clinical applicability of PROTAC-based technology within the realm of drug discovery.

Clinical and DCE-CT signs in predicting microvascular invasion in cHCC-ICC.

BACKGROUND: To predict the microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with cHCC-ICC. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 119 patients who underwent CT enhancement scanning (from September 2006 to August 2022). They were divided into MVI-positive and MVI-negative groups. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with CEA elevation was higher in the MVI-positive group than in the MVI-negative group, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.02). The MVI-positive group had a higher rate of peritumoral enhancement in the arterial phase (P = 0.01) whereas the MVI-negative group had more oval and lobulated masses (P = 0.04). According to the multivariate analysis, the increase in CEA (OR = 10.15, 95% CI: 1.11, 92.48, p = 0.04), hepatic capsular withdrawal (OR = 4.55, 95% CI: 1.44, 14.34, p = 0.01) and peritumoral enhancement (OR = 6.34, 95% CI: 2.18, 18.40, p < 0.01) are independent risk factors for predicting MVI. When these three imaging signs are combined, the specificity of MVI prediction was 70.59% (series connection), and the sensitivity was 100% (parallel connection). CONCLUSIONS: Our multivariate analysis found that CEA elevation, liver capsule depression, and arterial phase peritumoral enhancement were independent risk factors for predicting MVI in cHCC-ICC.

Drug-loaded mucoadhesive microneedle patch for the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

Oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic, inflammatory and potentially malignant oral disease. Local delivery of triamcinolone to lesion site is a commonly used therapy. The existing methods for local drug delivery include topical administration and submucosal injection. However, in the wet and dynamic oral microenvironment, these methods have drawbacks such as limited drug delivery efficiency and injection pain. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop an alternative local drug delivery system with high efficiency and painlessness. Inspired by the structure of band-aid, this study proposed a novel double-layered mucoadhesive microneedle patch for transmucosal drug delivery. The patch consisted of a mucoadhesive silk fibroin/tannic acid top-layer and a silk fibroin microneedle under-layer. When applying the annealing condition for the medium content of ß-sheets of silk fibroin, the microneedles in under-layer displayed both superior morphology and mechanical property. The mechanical strength of per needle (0.071N) was sufficient to penetrate the oral mucosa. Sequentially, the gelation efficiency of silk fibroin and tannic acid in top-layer was maximized as the weight ratio of tannic acid to silk fibroin reached 5:1. Moreover, in vitro results demonstrated the double-layered patch possessed undetectable cytotoxicity. The sustained release of triamcinolone was observed from the double-layered patch for at least 7 days. Furthermore, compared with other commercial buccal patches, the double-layered patch exhibited an enhanced wet adhesion strength of 37.74 kPa. In addition, ex vivo mucosal tissue penetration experiment confirmed that the double-layered patch could reach the lamina propria, ensuring effective drug delivery to the lesion site of oral submucous fibrosis. These results illustrate the promising potential of the drug-loaded mucoadhesive microneedle patch for the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

Myasthenic crisis in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (TMG) had more severe symptoms and worse prognoses in comparison to non-thymoma-associated MG. Thymoma recurrence was frequently associated with transient worsening of MG and even acute respiratory failure, namely myasthenic crisis (MC). However, little is known about the clinical features and outcomes of MC in thymoma-associated MG patients. We performed a retrospective cohort study in MG patients recruited from 9 independent tertiary neuromuscular centers in China from Jan 2015, through Oct 2022. Overall, 156 MC from 149 MG patients with positive anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies were finally analyzed. Next, these patients were divided into two subgroups: the TMG group (n = 60 MCs, 58 patients) and the non-thymoma-associated MG group (n = 96 MCs, 91 patients). Compared with non-thymoma-associated MG, TMG patients had a significantly shorter disease duration from symptom onset to the crisis (17.95±40.9 vs 51.31±60.61 months, P<0.0001), a larger proportion of MGFA IVa as the initial onset clinical classification (6.67% vs 0, P = 0.0205), and a longer hospital stay (39.24±22.09 [6-111] vs. 33.2 ± 23.42 days [7-120]; P = 0.0317) during the crisis. Within the TMG group, the hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with unresected thymoma compared to that in postoperative myasthenic crisis (POMC) (47.68±24.9 [6-111] vs. 34.21±18.87 days [12-82]; P = 0.0257). Early identification of the MG categories may provide some hints in tailoring therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis.

Structure and function of extreme TLS DNA polymerase TTEDbh from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis.

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a kind of DNA repair that maintains the stability of the genome and ensures the normal growth of life in cells under emergencies. Y-family DNA polymerases, as a kind of error-prone DNA polymerase, mainly perform TLS. Previous studies have suggested that the occurrence of tumors is associated with the overexpression of human DNA polymerase of the Y family. And the combination of Y-family DNA polymerase inhibitors is promising for cancer therapy. Here we report the functional and structural characterization of a member of the Y-family DNA polymerases, TTEDbh. We determine TTEDbh is an extreme TLS polymerase that can cross oxidative damage sites, and further identify the amino acids and novel structures that are critical for DNA binding, synthesis, fidelity, and oxidative damage bypass. Moreover, previously unnoticed structural elements with important functions have been discovered and analyzed. These studies provide a more experimental basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms of DNA polymerase in the Y family. It could also shed light on the design of drugs to target tumors.

An adult progressive Langerhans cell histiocytosis with central nervous system involvement for 10 years: A case report.

Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that usually occurs in children <15 years of age. Adult-onset LCH is extremely rare. Previous published guidelines and studies mainly focused on pediatric patients. The rarity and also insufficient knowledge of LCH in adults, especially central neuvous system (CNS) involvement of LCH, often resulted in missed and delayed diagnosis. Case presentation: A 35-year-old woman presented with cognitive impairment, anxietydepression, decreased eyesight, skin rash, hypernatremia, gonadal hormone deficiency and hypothyroidism. She had experienced menstrual disturbance and infertility since 10 years ago. MRI examination showed a mass lesion in the hypothalamic-pituitary region. Sighs of radiologic neurodegeneration were not found on brain MRI scans, however. Biopsy of skin rash confirmed the the diagnosis of multisystem LCH. BRAF V600E mutation was detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells. She accepted combination chemotherapy of vindesine and prednisone and accquired partial remission. The patient died of severe pneumonia during the second course of chemotherapy. Conclusion: Given the complicated differential diagnoses of neuroendocrine disorders, it was essential to be aware of CNS involvement of LCH at first, especially in adults. BRAF V600E mutation may participated in disease progression.

Structural Basis of the Interaction between Human Axin2 and SIAH1 in the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

The scaffolding protein Axin is an important regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, and its dysfunction is closely related to carcinogenesis. Axin could affect the assembly and dissociation of the ß-catenin destruction complex. It can be regulated by phosphorylation, poly-ADP-ribosylation, and ubiquitination. The E3 ubiquitin ligase SIAH1 participates in the Wnt pathway by targeting various components for degradation. SIAH1 is also implicated in the regulation of Axin2 degradation, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. Here, we verified that the Axin2-GSK3 binding domain (GBD) was sufficient for SIAH1 binding by the GST pull-down assay. Our crystal structure of the Axin2/SIAH1 complex at 2.53 Å resolution reveals that one Axin2 molecule binds to one SIAH1 molecule via its GBD. These interactions critically depend on a highly conserved peptide 361EMTPVEPA368 within the Axin2-GBD, which forms a loop and binds to a deep groove formed by ß1, ß2, and ß3 of SIAH1 by the N-terminal hydrophilic amino acids Arg361 and Thr363 and the C-terminal VxP motif. The novel binding mode indicates a promising drug-binding site for regulating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Abiraterone Acetate Tablets in Healthy Chinese Volunteers: An Open, Randomized, Single-Dose, Three-Period, Three-Sequence Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Abiraterone acetate tablet is an inhibitor of androgen synthesis, primarily for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study evaluated the bioequivalence and pharmacokinetics of the reference and test formulations of abiraterone acetate tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers. METHODS: A single-center, open, single-dose, randomized, three-period, three-sequence, semi-repeat (only repeated reference formulations), and reference formulation-corrected fasting reference-scaled average bioequivalence test was conducted in 36 healthy volunteers included in this study. Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. There was a minimum 7-day washout period between each dose. Blood samples were collected at prescribed time intervals, the plasma concentration of abiraterone acetate tablets was determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Under fasting conditions, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was 27.02 ± 14.21 ng/mL, area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to time t (AUCt) was 125.30 ± 82.41 h·ng/mL, and AUC from time zero to infinity (AUC∞) was 133.70 ± 83.99 h·ng/mL. The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the geometric mean ratio (GMR) of AUCt and AUC∞ were in the range of 0.8000-1.2500, and the coefficient of variation (CVWR) of Cmax was more than 30%. The Critbound result was - 0.0522, and the GMR was between 0.8000 and 1.2500. CONCLUSION: Both test and reference formulations of abiraterone acetate tablets were bioequivalent in healthy Chinese subjects under fasting conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04863105, registered 26 April 2021-retrospectively registered ( https://register. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S000ARAA&selectaction=Edit&uid=U00050YQ&ts=2&cx=-vbtjri.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure in relation to the kidneys: A review of current available literature.

Perfluorooctanoic acid is an artificial and non-degradable chemical. It is widely used due to its stable nature. It can enter the human body through food, drinking water, inhalation of household dust and contact with products containing perfluorooctanoic acid. It accumulates in the human body, causing potential harmful effects on human health. Based on the biodegradability and bioaccumulation of perfluorooctanoic acid in the human body, there are increasing concerns about the adverse effects of perfluorooctanoic acid exposure on kidneys. Research shows that kidney is the main accumulation organ of Perfluorooctanoic acid, and Perfluorooctanoic acid can cause nephrotoxicity and produce adverse effects on kidney function, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. In this review, we summarize the relationship between Perfluorooctanoic acid exposure and kidney health, evaluate risks more clearly, and provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research.

Artificial intelligence CT radiomics to predict early recurrence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: In this multicenter study, we sought to develop and validate a preoperative model for predicting early recurrence (ER) risk after curative resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) through artificial intelligence (AI)-based CT radiomics approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 311 patients (Derivation: 160; Internal and two external validations: 36, 74 and 61) from 8 medical centers who underwent curative resection were collected retrospectively. In derivation cohort, radiomics and clinical-radiomics models for ER prediction were constructed by LightGBM (a machine learning algorithm). A clinical model was also developed for comparison. Model performance was validated in internal and two external cohorts by ROC. In addition, we investigated the interpretability of the LightGBM model. RESULTS: The combined clinical-radiomics model that included 15 radiomic features and 3 clinical features (CA19-9 > 1000 U/ml, vascular invasion and tumor margin), resulting in the area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.974 (95% CI 0.946-1.000) in the derivation cohort, and 0.871-0.882 (95% CI 0.672-0.962) in the internal and external validation cohorts, respectively, which are higher than the AJCC 8th TNM staging system (AUCs: 0.686-0.717, p all < 0.05). Especially, the sensitivity of this machine learning model could reach 94.6% on average for all the cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: This AI-driven combined radiomics model may provide as a useful tool to preoperatively predict ER and improve therapeutic management of ICC patients.

Anthraquinones with potential antiproliferative activities from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia.

The phytochemical investigation on the fruits of Morinda citrifolia led to the isolation and characterization of a new anthraquinone, moricitrifone (1), along with seven known anthraquinones (2-8). The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectral analyses. The known compounds (2-8) were identified by comparing their spectral data with those reported in the literature. The antiproliferative activities of all isolated anthraquinones (1-8) against five human cancer cell lines: HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7 and SW480 were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 1-8 exhibited remarkable antiproliferative activities with IC50 values ranging from 0.26 ± 0.05 to 16.58 ± 0.18 µM, which were comparable to those of doxorubicin.

Enhanced silage pretreatment improving the biochemical methane potential of Miscanthus sinensis.

The choice of silage additives is an important factor for the storage of silage. One standard ensiling method and two enhanced ensiling methods (using natural silage, silage with mixed lactic acid bacteria, and silage with acetic acid, respectively) were carried out on Miscanthus sinensis. To determine the effects of these different methods, the biochemical methane potential (BMP) was determined. The results revealed that ensiling with acetic acid was the best method among the three ensiling methods. Acetic acid could quickly reduce the pH of the system to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. The rate of loss of dry matter was 0.92% when acetic acid was added, and the cumulative methane production was 149.6 mL·g-1 volatile solids. From an analysis of correlations between the properties and BMP of silage, the contents of acetic acid and total volatile fatty acids were significantly correlated with the BMP. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the BMP of M. sinensis and achieving better effects of silage.